A north Alabama man is now facing capital murder charges after allegedly hitting a woman with her own vehicle before attempting to burn her body.

In a press conference Wednesday, Florence Chief of Police Mike Holt and Lauderdale County District Attorney Chris Connolly updated the public on the murder case of 38-year-old Autumn Paige Strickland.

Holt thanked the Florence community and said their continued involvement in the case “made a massive difference.”

Connolly said the case was presented to a grand jury last week that decided to upgrade the charges against 28-year-old Logan Rogers.

After “a lot of consideration” prosecutors have decided to seek the death penalty, Connolly announced Wednesday.

“We don’t take that decision lightly, and we recognize the gravity of that decision,” he said.

“…We recognize the seriousness of what we are embarking on here. And that the death penalty is reserved for the most heinous of cases.”

“And I would submit to you that this is one of those cases,” Connolly continued.

Strickland, who leaves behind a young daughter, was reported missing the weekend of May 17, and her remains were found on May 20 in a burn barrel on Rogers’ property.

Charging documents against Rogers say Strickland was hit twice by a Kia Soul driven by the suspect.

“Video evidence supports that Logan Rogers struck the victim twice and that is act was intentional due to the location and manner in which it was carried out,” Det. Justin Adams wrote in his criminal complaint.

The killing happened in the 1600 block of North Wood Avenue in Florence in what investigators say was a chance meeting between the two.

The detective wrote that Rogers struck Strickland with the car once, circled around and then hit her a second time.

Thirty minutes later, video shows, Rogers returned to the scene with a pickup truck and put what investigators believe was Strickland’s body into the vehicle.

Strickland’s cell phone was later found in the exact location that she was hit by the car, Adams wrote.

Police arrested Rogers at his home in the 2200 block of North Wood Street.

When asked by reporters if a motive had been made clear during the investigation, Connolly responded: “Well there’s pure evil.”

A trial date has not been set for the case as of July 23, Connolly said.

Court records show Rogers was arrested earlier this year in Marion County on charges of making a terrorist threat and domestic violence involving his parents.

Rogers reportedly was often violent toward his parents and threatened to kill them, records show.

His mother obtained a protection from abuse order earlier this year, chronicling the threats and fear.

“I never know from one minute til the next how he will be,” she wrote. “The least little thing set’s him off.”

“I’m physically and mentally traumatized.”